In a thrilling sixth round of the Chennai Grandmasters 2026, Indian Grandmaster M. Pranesh stunned World Champion D. Gukesh, handing him his second consecutive defeat.
Meanwhile, GM Nihal Sarin triumphed over compatriot Arjun Erigaisi.
The prestigious classical chess tournament, held at the Westin Chennai Velachery Hotel, saw Erigaisi’s loss mean that French GM Alireza Firouzja, who drew his match against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, now leads the tournament with 4 points. Both Erigaisi and Abdusattorov are tied for second place with 3.5 points each.
The formal opening move was made by Narendra Kumar, managing trustee of the Chola Foundation, alongside Women’s Grandmaster Aarti Ramaswamy. Initially, it seemed Gukesh might secure his first win, but the World Champion made several miscalculations. Pranesh capitalized on these errors, winning the match in 39 moves for his first victory in the competition.
On the other hand, Erigaisi only needed a draw against Sarin to maintain a joint lead with Firouzja. For most of their game, a draw appeared likely, but a brilliant rook sacrifice by Nihal turned the tide decisively in his favor. Ultimately, Erigaisi conceded defeat after 60 moves.
Earlier on Monday, Erigaisi had taken advantage of Gukesh’s mistakes to share the lead after the fifth round of the Chennai Grandmasters 2026, while GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov also claimed a victory with the black pieces, solidifying his title contention.
This tournament features a prize pool of ₹7,500,000 and significant FIDE circuit points, with eight grandmasters competing in a round-robin format.
Results (Round 6):
– GM Hans Niemann (2.5) drew with GM Dmitry Andreikin (3).
– GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (3.5) drew with GM Alireza Firouzja (4).
– GM Arjun Erigaisi (3.5) lost to GM Nihal Sarin (3).
– GM M. Pranesh (3) defeated GM D. Gukesh (1.5).
Pairings (Round 7):
– GM D. Gukesh vs. GM Hans Niemann.
– GM Nihal Sarin vs. GM M. Pranesh.
– GM Alireza Firouzja vs. GM Arjun Erigaisi.
– GM Dmitry Andreikin vs. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov.